Characterizing the Complications Associated with Therapeutic Blood Transfusions for Hemoglobinapathies | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Characterizing the Complications Associated with Therapeutic Blood Transfusions for Hemoglobinapathies."

Which agency is offering this funding?

This is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding announcement under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

What public health topic does this opportunity focus on?

It focuses on hemoglobinopathies, a group of inherited blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia) where therapeutic blood transfusions are commonly used to prevent or treat serious complications.

What is the main purpose of the opportunity?

The central purpose is to support efforts that systematically characterize and better understand complications that can occur as a result of therapeutic blood transfusions used in people with hemoglobinopathies. The broader goal is to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes, and public health practices related to transfusion-based care.

What types of work or outcomes does CDC appear to be seeking?

Based on the provided summary, the work is centered on generating clearer, more actionable knowledge about transfusion-related complications in people with hemoglobinopathies. This can include documenting the frequency and nature of adverse events, identifying risk factors and patterns across populations or settings, improving consistency in how complications are detected and recorded, and supporting evidence to refine clinical guidance, surveillance practices, and prevention strategies.

Is this a new grant program or a continuation of existing work?

The opportunity category is listed as Continuation. That indicates it is intended to continue or extend previously supported work, rather than launch an entirely new and unrelated project line.

What type of funding mechanism is being used?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.

What does a cooperative agreement typically mean for awardees?

A cooperative agreement typically means CDC expects to have substantial involvement in the funded activities beyond what is common in a traditional grant. In practical terms, this often implies closer technical collaboration, shared planning, coordination on deliverables, and alignment with CDC priorities and data or surveillance standards, especially for projects involving multi-site coordination, public health surveillance, or standardized characterization of adverse outcomes.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Health.

What is the CFDA number for this program, and what does it indicate?

The CFDA number listed is 93.080. In the provided summary, this is described as corresponding to CDC programming areas that can include surveillance, applied research, and public health service activities.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on February 11, 2016.

What is the application closing date?

Both the original and current closing dates are listed as April 22, 2016.

How many awards were expected?

The listing notes ExpectedAwards: 50, suggesting CDC anticipated making a relatively large number of awards or funding actions under this continuation umbrella.

Does "ExpectedAwards: 50" mean 50 new, separate projects?

The provided information does not define exactly how those 50 expected awards would be structured. The summary suggests it could reflect a networked approach (for example, multiple sites, partners, or components contributing data or implementation capacity), but the exact structure is not confirmed by the text provided.

What is the award ceiling (maximum funding amount) for this opportunity?

The summary record shows AwardCeiling: 0. In the provided description, this is best interpreted as "not specified" or "not provided in this summary record," rather than literally indicating that no funding is available. The detailed budget ranges would typically be found in the full announcement documentation.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)." The provided summary notes that the full solicitation text contains the specific eligible entity types, and the exact eligible applicant categories cannot be confirmed from the information provided here.

What kinds of organizations might be eligible, based on the summary description?

While the summary does not confirm eligibility categories, it states that in CDC cooperative agreements of this kind, eligible applicants can sometimes include a mix of public or private organizations, academic institutions, non-profits, health systems, and other entities with the capacity to collect and analyze clinical and public health data, implement standardized protocols, and collaborate with government public health programs. This is presented as a common pattern, not a definitive eligibility list for this specific opportunity.

What patient populations are most directly addressed by this opportunity?

The opportunity is most directly focused on people with hemoglobinopathies who receive therapeutic blood transfusions, including those with conditions such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Why is characterizing transfusion-related complications important in this context?

According to the summary, systematically characterizing these complications supports improved patient safety and clinical outcomes and helps strengthen public health practices around transfusion-based care for affected populations.

Does this opportunity emphasize surveillance, research, or service activities?

The activity category is Health, and the CFDA 93.080 description in the summary indicates CDC programming areas that can include surveillance, applied research, and public health service activities. The specific mix required for this opportunity is not fully detailed in the provided text.

Does the summary indicate whether this involves multi-site work or a network?

The summary suggests a networked approach is possible, referencing multi-site coordination and noting that "ExpectedAwards: 50" could indicate multiple sites, partners, or components contributing data or implementation capacity. However, the summary does not explicitly confirm the required structure.

What does it mean that CDC may want alignment with standards?

The provided description explains that cooperative agreements can involve alignment with CDC priorities and data or surveillance standards, particularly when projects involve standardized characterization of adverse outcomes and/or public health surveillance.

Where would an applicant typically find the exact eligibility language and budget details?

The summary indicates that these details are contained in the full announcement documentation (for example, the "Additional Information on Eligibility" text field and the full solicitation materials), rather than in the abbreviated summary record.